Océ and sustainability
Sustainability is a constantly present factor in the conduct of the Océ business. Océ seeks to achieve sustainability in all facets of its business practice, specifies the areas where this is not yet the case and indicates the way in which that situation is being improved. Océ is resolved to minimize its ecological footprint in a systematic way. Océ also sees it as its duty to offer products and services that help customers reduce their ecological impact.
For more information:
Focus on improvements
Ever since its establishment in 1877 Océ has shown consistent care for all those - employees and users - who come into contact with Océ’s products. The environment, good labor relations, health and safety and good corporate citizenship - the ingredients of the broad concept of sustainability - have remained permanent factors in the development of Océ as a global business. In the last five years Océ’s approach to sustainability, which previously largely remained implicit, has been made explicit toward the outside world and put on a formal basis.
Clear strategy
In the first instance Océ drew up five focal points in which it clearly formulated which of the company’s activities have the greatest impact on sustinability and hence where the best improvement possibilities are to be found. Subsequently, during the year under review, the mission, vision, strategy and objectives in the area of sustainability were determined by the Board of Executive Directors. As a result sustainability within Océ has become a formal and long-term element of corporate strategy.
In the meantime many targets have been formulated and will serve as the basis for putting the strategy into practice. Those are presented and explained in the Océ Sustainability Report 2008. Supervision of the execution of the sustainability strategy and the application of the basic principles and action points are the responsibility of the Océ Corporate Sustainability Forum. That reports direct to the chairman of the Board of Executive Directors and acts as a corporate center for advice, support and policy development. The members of the Forum represent a cross-section of all relevant disciplines and business units in the Océ organization.
Océ uses the term eco-effective to indicate that the business ultimately wants to achieve a closed circuit for industrial products. The materials that are used must be developed in such a way that they can be 100% re-used or recycled, whilst the energy for all activities must be sustainable energy. On the way toward achieving this, Océ is working on ecoefficiency. Océ uses this term to indicate that it aims to minimize the unwanted effects of the products on the environment.
Sustainability vision
Océ wants to be ‘best in class’ as regards minimizing its environmental footprint and maximizing the well-being of people. Océ shows the world that documents can be managed ecoefficiently and ultimately eco-effectively.
Sustainability mission
Océ enables its customers to manage their documents eco-efficient and eco-effective by offering innovative print and document management products and services for professional environments, while acting as a responsible corporate citizen.
Sustainability strategy
Océ builds a competitive advantage by working together with its stakeholders to implement eco-efficient and eco-effective document management and printing. For each stakeholder group that means:
Customers
Océ helps its customers to develop further toward eco-efficient and eco-effective document management and does so by setting the good example itself.
Employees
Océ offers an attractive place to work by challenging its employees to come up with beyond the ordinary ideas. Investors Océ attracts investments from green investment funds by bringing its sustainability strategy into line with their criteria as much as possible.
Partners
Océ requires its partners to adopt the same norms and standards with regard to sustainability as the company applies to its own activities, and challenges them to inspire Océ with new ideas.
Society
Océ aims to combine economic growth with a reduced environmental footprint and increased wellbeing of people.
The focal points in concrete terms
Minimize incorrect and unnecessary prints
A systematic method of reducing paper usage is duplex printing. This is possible on almost all Océ systems. The aim, using less paper and toner, is also achieved via better methods of recycling. Océ participates in an alliance of leading printer manufacturers that is conducting research into the optimum way of de-inking paper.
Minimize energy consumption per print
Océ is substantially expanding the number of machines that use little energy. For example, the Océ CS240 and the Océ CS250 gained a major Japanese energy award in 2008: the ‘Energy Conservation Grand Prize for Excellent Energy Conservation Equipment’.
Maximize re-use of materials and minimize non-reusable waste
On a large scale Océ re-uses components and modules for new and renovated systems. Renovated machines will from now on be put on the market under the name Océ Prémia Class.
Minimize emissions of ozone, dust, toner and noise
Thanks to the technology that is used the emissions of Océ systems are strongly reduced. With the new Océ CrystalPoint printing technology that tradition will be strengthened further.
Establish Océ as the employer of choice
Océ offers many facilities for education and training, an important aspect of the company’s attractiveness as an employer. According to a recent survey by the InCompany magazine amongst employees of Dutch companies, Océ has a high score in the area of employee satisfaction (39th place out of a total of 200).
Consultation and cooperation
To check on the opinion of stakeholders with regard to its sustainability policy Océ – in cooperation with the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development – organized an international stakeholder consultation which allowed representatives of various stakeholder groups to give their views on the company’s policy, both in writing and during a meeting in Venlo. On the basis of the results of this consultation, which will be repeated each year, Océ will fine-tune its policy further.
Océ has over the years committed itself, both at corporate and local level, to various environmental and sustainability initiatives. Since 2002, for instance, Océ has subscribed to the UN Global Compact, an initiative of the United Nations in which companies undertake on a worldwide basis to guarantee human rights, good working conditions and care for the environment and to combat corruption. In 2008 Océ became ‘industry partner’ for document management and printing in Climate Action, an initiative of the United Nations Environmental Program aimed at encouraging a carbon-neutral economy worldwide. The ‘carbon positive’ campaign which was successfully started in 2007 in the United Kingdom with the Océ VarioPrint 6000 series was continued in 2008. To encourage the interest for sustainability amongst customers as well, Océ introduced in the United States an award for the ‘Green reprographer of the year’.
In its own organization, too, Océ is taking appropriate measures: in 2012 Océ is aiming to reduce the amount of CO2 produced by its lease car fleet in Europe by some 20% per kilometer travelled.